Last Hope
by ShadowVelvet
Summary: What if Jenova and Deepground were not the only things Shinra's researchers experimented on? While trying to revive the fallen city of Midgar, a team of WRO soldiers led by Vincent Valentine stumbles upon a hidden lab in Shinra. Set during post-DoC. ChaosxOC.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So... this is my first time writing a fanfiction and I must apologize in advance if the characters are slightly or too OOC. I've never played or even owned a copy of the game except DoC (and even that is actually borrowed from my brother's friend). I'm rating it T on the safe side for now but it may go to M in much further chapters.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Square Enix except for the character Samantha for she is mine.

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Chapter 1

Two years has passed since the Deepground and the awakening of Omega incident and the world was finally peaceful again. Towns and villages that were destroyed during that time had been restored with the help of WRO. Now they were trying to revive the forgotten city, Midgar. Plans were already made and now WRO soldiers were clearing the monsters that had infested the city in long neglect. Members of AVALANCHE were there as well to lend a hand as per the request of Reeve. Within a month or so they had the city cleared and reconstructions were starting.

"Whoo! Finally a break from a month of monster hunting," Yuffie exclaimed as she plopped down on a crate.

"What? I thought ya never get tired, brat," scoffed Cid while chewing on an unlit cigarette. Yuffie only stick out her tongue as a reply before falling on her back with a loud sigh.

"Good job everyone. Now we can begin the reconstruction fully on the city," Reeve said as he emerged from a tent nearby. He was wearing a blue robe similar to the one he had worn during the Deepground incident. He looked at the tired AVALANCHE members and raised an eyebrow. "Where's Vincent? Is he not with you guys?"

At the mention of the silent gunslinger's name everyone looked around in confusion. Then Cloud turned to the small ninja and said, "Yuffie, you were last with him. Do you know where Vincent is?"

"Nope. How should I know where he goes?" the young ninja replied. "You know how Vinnie is always so quiet about what he does though I wished he'd tell. 'Sides he can take care of himself and he's got that gloomy demon of his with him."

By gloomy demon, Yuffie had meant Chaos. After the Omega incident, Chaos had somehow been separated from Vincent's body and gained a materialized form. The other demons however had disappeared from the ex-Turk's mind. Having nowhere to go, Chaos decided to stick with his 'host' much to everyone's disagreement especially Vincent. But the demon wouldn't take no for an answer so they were forced to let Chaos stay with them.

"True but we were supposed to gather here when the siren rang just now," Tifa said worriedly. She turned to look at the direction they came from hoping to spot a red dot somewhere.

"No point in worryin' 'bout that friggin' guy. I'm sure he'll show up later when he gets bored of doin' whatever he's doing out there," Cid said with a wave of his hand to dismiss the topic.

"I hope so," Tifa sighed. Cloud placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her and she turned to look at him.

Everyone nodded silently in agreement and they went into a tent where refreshments were prepared for them.

* * *

Meanwhile somewhere inside Shinra building…

A man clad in red tattered cloak stood still in a dark empty hallway. A small group consisting of three WRO soldiers stood on guard with their torches the only light in the place. They did not know why they were inside Shinra for but because they had orders to follow the silent gunslinger they were here.

The damp and stuffy air was uncomfortable and the darkness around them was unsettling. Vincent walked slowly down the hallway, his crimson eyes searching for something even he does not know what. He had come to the place out of instinct and because Chaos forced him to. He was surprised at first when the demon suddenly flew towards the ruined building, dragging Vincent along, when they were supposed to gather back at camp when the siren blared.

"Chaos, might I ask again why are we _here_?" Vincent said monotonously to the winged demon.

"_**I told you before; I sensed something strange in here. It feels **_**familiar**_** in a way,**_" the demon replied feeling rather annoyed that his ex-host had to ask him something so obvious. He hovered casually down the hall, his yellow eyes shining golden in the darkness.

The WRO soldiers followed silently, their guns ready for any unsuspecting monsters to leap out. Vincent could feel their uneasiness of being alone with the demon and he didn't blame them for even he was feeling slightly unnerved as much as he hated to admit it. He placed his hand close to Cerberus' handle, his fingers twitching in readiness to pull the trigger anytime.

Chaos continued to float around the hallway, opening each door he passed by to inspect the inside before moving on to the next door when he didn't see what he was looking for. This little expedition went on for what felt like hours to the small group before they finally arrived at the end of the hall.

A reinforced steel door stood in front of them, barred by more steels and yellow tapes with 'warning' written on them. A board hung sideway on the wall beside the door, its letters faded from age. Vincent walked up to the door to examine it only to turn around to face the winged demon in disappointment.

"It's locked tight and the door won't budge because the sides are rusted," the gunner said as-a-matter-of-factly. "What now Chaos?"

Said demon only gave a low growl, baring his fangs slightly with a threatening look on his face. He held his arm up and Death Penalty appeared in his hand. The gun was aimed at the steel door behind Vincent and knowing what the demon was about to do, Vincent quickly leap out of the way just in time to avoid the powerful shot.

Thick clouds of dust filled the air making it impossible to see anything for some time. When the dust had settled, the small group slowly opened their eyes to see what was inside the lock room. Vincent got up from his crouching position and rubbed his eyes.

A large hole had appeared in the middle of the door and Vincent could see that Chaos had already entered the room. He followed in carefully behind the demon. The room was dark as to be expected but there was a large tube standing in the middle of the room with thick green liquid glowing abnormally.

There were sounds of soft electronic beeps in the room and looking around; Vincent saw multiple screens blinking unevenly and some flashing statistically. One of the screens displayed something akin to a bio data of a human.

Chaos moved closer to the tall tube in the room and placed a hand on it. A soft clink sound was heard upon contact. The gunslinger turned to look at the demon about to say something when he noticed something.

The tube was connected with many thick cables from the outside to the inside and floating gently in the green liquid was a _body._ It was human from the looks of it and it was wearing a jumpsuit of the sort with what seemed like a helmet on its head. Long hair floated around covering some part of the body and a cable was attached to the neck and helmet.

Without wasting any more time, Chaos fisted his hand and punched the glass wall of the tube, effectively cracking the glass before it shattered to pieces. Chaos got away before the liquid burst out and he hovered in front of the hole he made in the glass.

Slowly, the demon walked into the tube, towards the now limp body that lay on the tube's floor. He carefully turned the body over and as if hesitant, he slowly removed the cable and helmet off. Vincent inhaled sharply when he stood next to the demon, his crimson eyes wide in shock when he saw the body.

There laying still was a young woman seemingly in her late teens or early twenties with long brown hair and a pale complexion. The jumpsuit she wore clung tightly to her body, showing of her curves effectively. A soft whimper escaped her thin lips and her fingers twitched a little.

The woman lay still for a while more before her eyelids flutter open slowly, her right arm shielding her eyes from the bright light shining down from the top of the tube. She tried to get up on the other arm but couldn't and she let out a moan of frustration.

"Careful," Vincent knelt beside her and help balance her up. The gunner said nothing more as he placed his gauntleted arm behind the woman's back to support her in her sitting position. He turned to look at the demon still kneeling in front of him.

"_**Who are you human?**_" Chaos said after a long moment of silence. He looked at the woman intently with his yellow eyes.

"Samantha… Where am I?" the woman said. Her voice was soft and slightly cracked probably due to not having used in a very long time. She turned to look around slowly, her eyelids half open. Both Vincent and Chaos could see she had deep emerald pupils that shone almost like Mako.

"You are safe for now," Vincent said. "Can you stand?"

The young woman shook her head and said, "I'm too… tired." Then her eyes closed shut and she lay unconscious in Vincent's arms.

Chaos moved in and carefully picked the now sleeping woman up and walked out of the tube, Vincent following behind him, amazed at the demon's action. The three WRO soldiers who had remained at the entrance guarding now turned to look at the demon and the gunner emerged from the tube. Vincent moved forward to them and said, "Search for anything of value in the room and see if you can get a copy of the reports in the computers."

"Sir!" the soldiers saluted before moving quickly about the task given.

Chaos stood outside the entrance impatiently, the woman cradled closely to his chest. After some time, the soldiers grouped together again, files and reports in hand. Vincent gestured for them to move out and silently the small group marched out of the crumbling building and returned to the encampment which was located in what used to be Sector 1 station.

It was already night when they came out of the old building. The stars were shining brightly in the black sky above. After a long while of walking, they finally arrived at the camp site. Yuffie was the first to spot them returning and the ninja ran up to them waving her arms in the air.

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A/N: So… what do you guys think? Is it okay, bad or I don't know… good? Critics and comments are warmly welcomed so please review it. Second chapter is coming right up soon so stay tuned.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the second chapter everyone. Hope you enjoy it and please review once you're done reading. And do please point out if the characters are a little too OOC or if there are any spelling and grammatical mistakes (I'll try to fix them as best as I can).

**WolfGirl129: I'm glad you like it! Well you don't have to wait for long for here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it~ ^^**

Disclaimer: I own nothing and nobody except for OC.

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Chapter 2

"Hey guys, Vinnie's back!" Yuffie shouted. "Where on Gaia have you been?! We were worried sick that you got lost out there!"

"Hn. Sorry Yuffie," Vincent replied casually when the ninja got close. A small smile tugged on his lips and his brows relaxed a little at the sight of the energetic woman. If there is anything that could brighten the ex-Turk's day it is the presence of a certain loudmouth ninja.

The gunner nodded at the WRO soldiers who had been with him up 'til then and they hurriedly move past the AVALANCHE members that had gathered there already. They would immediately hand in the report to Reeve.

"About time ya show up vamp," Cid said after coming up behind Yuffie. "So what d'ya been up to?"

Tifa let out a loud gasp when she spotted Chaos and the still body in his clutch. The other AVALANCHE members turned to look at Chaos with confusion etched on their faces.

"Is she alright?" Tifa was the first to speak. She quickly moved towards Chaos to look closer at the woman in his arms. The demon took a step back and stiffened in his pose when she got closer. He was still not used to being approached by anyone other than Vincent himself even though he had been in their company for nearly a year now. Tifa saw this and said with a reassuring smile at the demon, "It's alright. I won't hurt you or her; I just want to look at her."

_Funny, _Chaos thought to himself, _as if you humans could ever harm me._ He stood still, letting Tifa do what she wanted.

"Where did you find her?" Cloud said all the while not taking his eyes off Chaos. He still did not trust the demon and felt that he had to be on guard when in the demon's presence.

"_**Inside Shinra building, in a sealed laboratory boy,**_" Chaos replied curtly. The demon did not like Cloud at all due to the fact that he has some of Jenova's cell in him.

"What da Hel where you doin' in that damn place? We were supposed ta hunt 'round the city only," Cid said, still chewing on the unlit cigarette. The old pilot looked at Vincent then at Chaos and back to Vincent again.

"_**It is none of you concern what I do,**_" Chaos said as he kept a stern look on his face. Then he moved passed the small crowd and headed towards a tent.

"Jerk. You'd expect he'd warmed up to us by now and be a little more friendlier," Yuffie huffed, her hands on her hips and her cheeks puffed out.

"You can't blame him Yuffie. Chaos just isn't used to being around people other than Vincent," Tifa said good-naturedly. She placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder and gave her a warm smile.

"Yeah, I know that Tiff. It's just he's way too secluded ya know, like how Vinnie was when we first met him," Yuffie turned to look at said gunner with a big grin on her face. "Hey don't take it to heart okay Vinnie?"

Vincent only smiled a little and patted her on the head like a child, earning him a loud protest from the ninja. Everyone laughed at that and they walked towards the fireplace where WRO members were now gathering.

* * *

Meanwhile inside a tent…

For some unknown reason, Chaos was feeling irritated and angry. He didn't know why but he still felt that way nevertheless and that made him even more irritated. The young woman he had been carrying since their return from Shinra building was now laying on a bed.

Chaos tried to stand as far away as possible which was not that far seeing as how the tent was a rather small one and there were beds on all sides. His metal greaves made clanking sounds as he paced around the tent before finally settling down on a bed opposite to the one currently occupied by the sleeping woman.

He focused his golden gaze at the unconscious figure in front of him. There was something about the woman that made the semi-WEAPON _happy_ in a way. He couldn't put into words his feelings when he first saw her. It was not love, no the demon would sooner kill himself than admit that but it was not love that he felt. The warm feeling he had was akin to one being reunited with a long lost family. It was a gentle warmth that he had not felt and never thought to feel again in a long time.

While Chaos was lost in his thoughts, he had not realized the figure in front of him stirring awake. Her eyelids flutter slowly and she tried to propped herself up on her right arm. It was a slow action and when she was comfortably sitting, she let out a loud yawn that startled the demon from his thoughts.

"Ahh… where am I?" the woman whom introduced herself as Samantha the first time they met asked, her voice husky. Her eyes were not opened entirely and she sat rather dazedly.

"_**You are in a tent as you can see,**_" Chaos replied, gesturing a hand at the surrounding.

"Tent…? Why would I be in a… tent?" she asked again albeit slower. Then as if realization struck her, she sat upright in a bolt and her eyes shot opened wide. Shock and confusion were written on her face as she looked at her surrounding then at the demon in front of her.

She sat rooted on her spot when she saw the demon and when she tried to say something, her mouth just ended up hanging open like a fish as no voice came out. Her eyes were wide with shock and for a few moments it stayed that way in awkwardness.

If he was amused, Chaos clearly didn't show it on his stoic expression when he observed the human who sat in front of him with her mouth hanging ajar like a fish. His raised eyebrow the only reaction he made during the whole time.

Samantha let out a moan as she dropped her head into her hands, mumbling something while shaking her head. Then she looked up at the demon, her emerald pupils staring at his yellow ones. What she said next was clearly not something he had expected to hear.

"This is a dream, right? Tell me it's a dream," she said with a heavy sigh.

"_**Why do you think this is a dream?**_" Chaos replied.

"Because…" she trailed off. She was looking at her own self now. Blinking her eyes in confusion she looked at the demon again, gesturing at her entire self and said, "Wait, why am I wearing _this?"_

Now Chaos was confused himself, not only did she ask questions people normally wouldn't ask but she was acting as if everything wasn't normal. He was about to say something when Vincent walked into the tent followed by Yuffie chattering loudly behind the tall man.

"…and so. Hey, you're awake. How're ya feeling? The name's Yuffie, Wutai's Single White Rose and the best ninja in all of Gaia," Yuffie announced as she hopped her way towards Samantha. Then she stopped abruptly in her track, all cheerfulness gone as she stared at the young woman.

"W-what? You're creeping me out with your stare so will you stop it?" Samantha said uneasily. "As if there isn't enough weirdness already since I woke up."

Vincent walked towards Yuffie, placing a hand on her shoulder and said, "Yuffie, what wrong?"

"Aerith… You look like her… How…?" Yuffie stammered, not looking away at the woman sitting in front of her.

At that moment the rest of AVALANCHE members entered the now cramped tent. Samantha looked at the new faces then she looked down and sighed.

"What's with da depressing atmosphere?" Cid said while picking his teeth.

"Why… why?! Why do you look like her!? Why do you look like Aerith?! Tell me, why?!" Yuffie held onto Samantha's shoulders and shook her hard as she shouted.

"Yuffie!" Vincent pried her hands off and held the small ninja close to him. Then Yuffie let out a loud wail and sobbed on his chest. The gunner didn't know how to react to that so he just held her silently. Tifa quickly walked to them and tried to comfort her friend as best as she could.

Cloud turned to look at the crying ninja then at the young woman whom had been silent for some time. He observed her from where he stood. Brown wavy hair, fair complexion and green eyes. Yes, she had looked exactly like the flower girl who once used to be their friend. Barret and Cid looked at each other in confusion.

They all remained that way until Cloud broke the awkwardness by saying, "Who are you?" His was face stern and his words slightly threatening.

Samantha now became the center of attention as everyone now looked at her. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably as she felt the gazes directed at her. Yuffie had stopped crying by then but she occasionally hiccupped and sniffed. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Look, I don't want any trouble with you guys as I hardly even know any of you an-"

"Quit stalling and answer me, _who_ _are_ _you_?" Cloud interrupted, this time his words were dripping with venom.

"My name is Samantha. I don't know who this Aerith is, but clearly you've gotten us mistaken. None of this is making any sense to me to begin with. One minute I was with my friends at the mall and then everything blacked out and now here I am being accused for God knows what," Samantha said in irritation. She took another deep breath and let out a loud sigh.

"_**Friends?**_" This time it was Chaos who spoke. Everyone in the tent was startled for they had forgotten the demon was with them. "_**How long exactly have you been asleep?**_"

"I'm sorry, you lost me there. What are you trying to say?" Samantha looked at him confusingly.

"_**You are one of Shinra's experiments are you not?**_" Chaos answered. "_**After all we did found you in a tube used for human experiments**_."

At this, the young woman just stared at the demon who had said that dumbfounded. _Experiments? Shinra?_ None of it made any sense at all to her and she felt entirely lost. _What are they talking about?_

* * *

A/N: What indeed are they talking about? Samantha is so lost right now that she doesn't know what to do. Is she really one of Shinra's experiments conducted before Meteor? If so, by whom? And for what? The next chapter will be based on Samantha's POV explaining her behavior.

I know Chaos hasn't spoken much but that's just how I assume he'd be like, just like Vincent, all calm and a man of few words. After all no one knows for sure how he actually is like and everyone has different POVs.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello again everyone. How're you all. I'm currently forcing myself to sit in front of my laptop and type this fanfiction. Wouldn't do to leave it incomplete now would it? I'm also updating this chapter early because I'll be gone for some days on holiday and there won't be Internet for me. Well, hope you like this chapter and don't forget to review. Love you all!

Disclaimer: I own nothing and nobody except for OC.

Warning: This chapter is based on Samantha's POV entirely.

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Chapter 3

My name is Samantha and I live alone in an apartment in Sector 2 in Midgar. It's close to the college after all and most of the students lived there. Our nation's military, the SOLDIERs, also lived there as do most of the important politicians.

Life was great here in Midgar, though I remember learning in History class about how it was different back in the past. There were Mako reactors in each of the nine sectors; Sector 0 to Sector 8. These reactors absorb our Lifestream to provide energy to our daily life. But there was a negative effect to the Planet.

The Lifestream is needed by the Planet to sustain life hence on the long run the reactors were bad for the Planet. That was why they were removed and instead now we have windmills and dams to supply the required energy. The result was the once barren lands have now been covered with vegetation everywhere.

The Shinra Electric Power Company still ruled Midgar and SOLDIERs still exist but unlike before where candidates were infused with Mako, they now train like any normal military would. The use of Mako had been banned by the new law established. The slums had also been improved and people down there no longer live in poverty like they used to. Since then everyone's life had improved and the world was at peace.

My life was perfect then until something unexplainable happened to me. It was winter and snows were falling down beautifully. The weather was bearable because the sky was clear and the sun was out. School was on halt as it was holiday and I was bored seeing as I had completed my assignment early.

My family was out on their own vacation and I didn't want to join them. They were going to Costa del Sol and I don't like beaches, don't ask why though. I just hate them. So instead I decided to hang out with my friends for the holidays. They wanted to go shopping for Christmas, so I thought why not? It was better than staying in my apartment all the time.

I wore my blue turtleneck, a skinny black jeans and a blue beanie. I wrapped a green scarf around my neck and wore my brown snow boots before leaving my apartment. My friends were already at the reception hall below when I reached there. We greeted each other and then we headed off to the parking lot where we got in one of my friends' car.

The ride to the station wasn't long and when we got there, we immediately got on the train. We spotted some SOLDIERs on board the train and my friends couldn't help but giggle at one of them. I suppose it was normal for any girl to want a SOLDIER boyfriend but I wasn't interested so I rolled my eyes and went inside a cabin.

It took several minutes for us to arrive at the next station where we got off. Sector 8, the place where all entertainment buildings stood including the shopping mall we were headed to. This place was the liveliest in all of Midgar. We passed by LOVELESS Avenue and it just so happened that the famous play itself was going on at that time. We decided to watch it before going to the mall.

The play was amazing and many people stood there and watch it. My friends and I squeezed our way through the crowd to get a closer look. There among the crowds on the front row I saw someone I had not expected to see at all.

Clad in red leather coat and black pants and shirt was the famous First-Class SOLDIER; Genesis Rhapsodos. It was hard not to recognize such a well-known man especially when his red hair stood out amongst the crowd. He was enjoying himself by watching the play as well. Close to him were girls from his fan club all seemingly to be staring at him rather than paying attention to the play in front of them. Even my friends seemed to be doing that, though I don't blame them. Genesis is rather handsome for someone near his mid-thirties.

When the play was finally over, the crowd applauded and dissipated. My friends though, wanted to take the opportunity to get the First-Class SOLDIER's autograph so I waited for them. When they were done we headed off to the shopping mall but it wasn't before Genesis called out to us. The tall man moved away from his fan girls to us with a smile on his face.

"Now where are you lovely ladies headed? It would be my pleasure to accompany you that is if you wouldn't mind" he said.

Boy was I dumbfounded. Here I thought my day couldn't get any better. Genesis Rhapsodos, the man adored by many fan girls wanted to accompany us for the day! I swear I saw fireworks in my mind.

"But don't you have work to do?" I said, trying my hardest not to stammer.

"Taking care of you ladies is also my job," the man replied smoothly.

My friends couldn't stop giggling by then and one of them said, "If you put it that way we can't refuse your offer then."

"Shall we be off then? Where are you planning on going by the way?" Genesis asked gentlemanly.

"The shopping mall," I replied quickly.

For the rest of the way we walked and chatted rather happily. People around us were staring and I couldn't help but blush a little. We spent the day walking through stores, buying clothes and accessories while Genesis showed us around and brought us to the ones with the best wares. When we were tired from all the walking, Genesis took us to a café where we sat and ate cakes.

It was a totally fun day especially since the First-Class SOLDIER was such a cheerful and friendly person. And then everything happened. Voices started to drown from my hearing and my vision turned blurry. I remember seeing the worried looks on my friends' face as well as Genesis before everything blacked out.

Not a light was seen as I felt myself standing in total darkness. Not a sound was heard either as I stood there feeling cold all of a sudden. When I tried to open my eyes, I saw bright lights above me so I shielded them. Then I felt someone help me sit up and I heard a voice.

It was a deep baritone voice which sounded almost like multiple voices echoing.

"_**Who are you human?**_" the voice said.

"Samantha… Where am I?" I replied. My voice sounded hoarse and my throat felt slightly dry.

"You are safe for now," another voice said in a softer volume. "Can you stand?"

I tried to feel my legs but I couldn't even move my toes. I shook my head and said, "I'm too… tired."

Then everything went black once more and I felt my body slumped into the strong arms that held me. Before I drifted unconscious completely, I felt another pair of warm arms carry my body gently. The warmth from those arms felt so comforting that I drifted off to sleep.

The next thing was when I woke up again and realized I was not in somewhere I was familiar with and my world had gone toppling down like scoops of ice-cream falling down after being stacked up.

"_**You are one of Shinra's experiments are you not?**_" the being clad in full black with red belts here and there said. "_**After all we did found you in a tube used for human experiments**_."

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A/N: This is slightly shorter than the previous two chapters. So what do you guys think? I just couldn't resist mentioning Genesis in there because I love that redhead. I still can't believe he was modeled after GACKT and voiced by him as well. *fan girl scream and then faints* Don't forget to review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm back people and here's the forth chapter for you guys. I'm really hoping I can finish this fanfiction before next year March lest I leave it incomplete. And please review, I would love to hear your opinions on this story. And I've got one request to you all readers; could you guys help like my LoL clan page on FB? My brother's been bugging me none stop about it. Here's the link: deltaxquadgaminglol You don't have to like it if you don't want to. Anyway thanks for taking your time to read this boring note.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. If I did, Vincent would not have had such a tragic past.

Warning: The Italic writing is actually flashback. And whatever info about Cetra's is based on the Final Fantasy wikia and partly my own assumption.

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Chapter 4

It was late at night and everyone was asleep at the WRO encampment site. Silence embraced the atmosphere like lovers as nothing moved. Dreams were the only thing in everyone's mind. Everyone save but one person; Samantha.

Her thoughts were troubled with the events that had taken place earlier. The scene kept replaying in her mind and she couldn't sleep for the first time in her life.

"_Experiments? Ho- What do you mean?" Samantha blurted out. "Nineteen years of my life I've been living like any normal teenager. How does that make me an experiment?"_

_Vincent and Chaos now looked at each other in confusion. The gunner then turned to look at the woman they had brought back and said, "I'm afraid the world you had been living in up until now has been merely an illusion."_

"**You have been physically living inside a tube for your entire life,**" _Chaos added. "_**What you have experienced in your life is not real.**"

"_How is that possible?" the young woman asked. Confusion and slight panic etched on her expression._

"_Based on the reports we found it would seem they have been keeping you as an experiment since birth though I can't be sure about the details as I only looked through a few of them briefly," Vincent explained slowly._

"_Was it… Was it Prof. Hojo…?" Yuffie said with much hesitation. The name itself held many unwanted memories that just thinking of it made everyone shudder._

"_No. The experiment was conducted by an unknown scientist. There was no name in the reports found in that lab," Vincent said monotonously. "I have yet to look through the entire report."_

"_But why a kid?" the old pilot said from a corner of the tent. He was resting on a wooden crate._

"**For the same reason as why they wanted your friend Aerith; she is an Ancient,**" _Chaos replied._

_All AVALANCHE members now turned to look at the demon in shock._

"_But that's impossible. Aerith was the last Cetra, even she said it herself," Tifa said._

"_A clone then? Those Shinra dogs always had a sick way with their experiments," Barret sneered._

"_Vincent, is this true?" Cloud asked in a calm tone despite the evident hate in his expression._

"_She is a Cetra but she is not a clone," the gunner answered._

"_I don't get it, what exactly is a… Cetra?" Samantha asked. Everyone in the tent turned to look at her._

"_You don't know what a Cetra is?" Yuffie blurted out. She had recovered from her earlier trauma and now she was back to her chipper self. "Where on Gaia have you be- Oh… sorry I forgot. You've been stuck in some test tube for your whole life."_

"_Um… So, explanations please…?" Samantha asked again, ignoring Yuffie's last comment._

"**A Cetra… is a lost race from long ago. They are a part of the Planet,**" Chaos began slowly. "**They were the first race that lived on the Planet later followed by humans. Their role is to cultivate the Planet into a habitable one. They were eventually wiped out by 'The Calamity from the Sky' which the humans later call it 'Jenova'.**"

"_So… you're saying I'm one of this lost race's?_" the young woman asked. "_But how would you know if I am a Cetra or not?_"

"**Your eyes, they are the colour of the Lifestream,**" Chaos answered. "**That and I can sense the Planet's power in you.**"

"_The Planet's… power? Do you mean my ability to occasionally hear voices? It's unrecognisable but I've been hearing it since young," the woman inquired. When the demon nodded in confirmation, she sat at her spot in silence trying to contemplate the meaning of the new found truth._

_There was a pregnant pause in the air until Yuffie yawned. It reminded the AVALANCHE members why they had entered the tent to begin with._

"_I'm beat…" Yuffie said. The ninja plopped down on the nearest bed and in seconds was asleep. Cid scratched the back of his head and sat on the nearest bed before laying down on it to sleep._

"_I'ma hittin' the sack. If you wipper snappers wanna continue this talk, do it outside," the old pilot said._

_Barret got on a bed, grumbling about something before sleeping immediately. Cloud let out a deep sigh before climbing in a bed himself, followed by Tifa. _

"_You should rest for the night. We'll explain everything to you once we understand it ourselves," Vincent said and he too lay down on a bed. Only Chaos remained unmoving from his spot._

"_You aren't sleeping?" Samantha inquired the demon in front of her._

"**Unlike you humans, I do not need to sleep much,**"_ the demon replied. He got up from his spot on the bed and left the tent._

Samantha shifted on her bed restlessly for countless times that night. She couldn't sleep for she felt very wide awake. _Figures. _She thought to herself. _If what they had told me was true then that means I've been asleep for nineteen years now. As if I can sleep anymore for today._

Silently, she got up from her bed and looked around the tent. Everyone was asleep as expected so she tiptoed out of the tent quietly. When she got out of the tent, she did not realize she had been holding her breath as she heaved out a deep sigh of relieve.

"_**Can't sleep?**_" came a deep voice from behind her.

"Ahh!" the young woman exclaimed. She turned around to face the direction of the voice and she saw Chaos leaning on stacks of crates with his arms folded across his chest. "Oh, it's you. You nearly freaked the daylight out of me for a minute there."

"_**Hmph… most people would have screamed and ran from the moment they see me,**_" the demon stated. "_**So I'm curious, how is it that you are so calm when you first saw me?**_"

"Well, my friends had always said that I'm an unusually calm person," Samantha replied. She tilted her head slightly to the right and shifted her weight from one leg to another before continuing, "I guess it didn't occur to me to run since you hadn't made any intention of harming me."

The demon chuckled a little and said, "_**And what if I had intended to harm you?**_"

"Then it would be either I wouldn't be standing here right now or you lying flat with your face down to the ground," the young woman answered bluntly as she rolled her green eyes.

"_**Hahaha! You are one amusing person. There is hardly anyone here who'd dare to speak to me without feeling intimidated,**_" Chaos said. He straightened himself and strode towards the woman standing in front of him. Golden eyes stared into emerald ones as he looks at her with a smirk on his face. As Samantha stared back, she found herself admiring the glow in his eyes.

They stood there, staring at each other in silence for some moments, neither making a move on the other. The silence broke like a spell when the sound of someone clearing their throat was heard. It had caught the both of them off guard.

"I hope I'm not intruding on the both of you," Vincent said with a hint of amusement sparkling in his crimson eyes. If observed clearly, one could see a small grin creeping its way to the gunslinger's pale lips.

"_**Vincent… I did not hear you approaching,**_" Chaos said with a hint of a low growl in his voice. He turned to fully face the gunner and asked, "_**How long exactly have you been standing there?**_"

"Hn, it was not my intention to eavesdrop but it was long enough to hear something interesting," the gunner replied. His eyes glowed mischievously.

"Right… while you guys continue with your teasing, I'll just head back to the tent. Good night," Samantha said, silently hoping her voice had not cracked as she quickly walked away.

When her retreating figure had disappeared into the tent, Chaos floated away from his spot saying, "_**I'm going to get some fresh air.**_"

Vincent stood still, watching the demon that used to be a part of his conscious, disappear around the corner and shook his head. The ex-Turk then walked back into the tent and saw Samantha sitting upright on her bed.

"Not going to sleep?" he asked as he walked over to his bed which was next to hers and sat on it with his legs and arms crossed.

"I have been pretty much asleep for my entire life you know," the woman replied. She turned on her bed to look at the man beside her.

Pale complexion, lean and tall figure, raven long unkempt hair, red tattered cloak, black shirt and slacks, golden gauntlet and boots; all in all a perfect living model, one everyone envied. His calm and stoic demeanour was something she admired and a silent thought crossed her mind, _How can he be so perfect?_

"Hn. So it would seem," the man said. He lay down on the bed and said, "Good night."

"Night," Samantha said. Then she too lay on her bed and shut her eyes, hoping she would at least fall into a light nap. What would tomorrow bring? She hoped she would have the energy to face a day full of weirdness and possibly the truth about her identity.

As she finally drifted off to sleep once more, she dreamt of a voice calling out to her in the darkness and she saw a certain redhead and a demon fighting each other. The world around her shook with great tremor with each clash of weapon and blast.

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A/N: What will tomorrow bring for our main character, Samantha? What does the dream actually mean? The next chapter will be based on Chaos' POV and the unknown researcher's report. Hope you guys liked it and don't forget to review.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry guys! Been very occupied with baby-sitting my younger half-siblings for the past few days and will be doing that 'til the end of the month 'cause I'm at my mom's place so I won't be able to type any new chapters for the mean time… Pray that I survive the ordeal of taking care of them… T^T

Disclaimer: The usual I-own-nothing-of-Final-Fantasy-VII

Warning: More of a friendly reminder; this chapter is based on Chaos' POV.

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Chapter 5

The rest of the night had passed by quietly without any disturbance. Now, the sun was creeping its way out of the horizon slowly. Soft orange rays pierced and blended in with the dark night sky and the distant stars faded out one by one. The sight was a magnificent one though I actually prefer the sunset.

I stood on a ruined building's roof, far away from the encampment site. The building was on a high ledge and from my spot I could see everything that transpires in the camp. Most of the WRO people had just woken up and going about their business while the ones that had been up all night for duty were retiring into the sleeping tents.

At the far corner of the encampment site was Shera, an ancient aircraft excavated by the humans a few years prior. The pilot, Cid, could be seen boarding the plane along with Barret and Cloud. The old pilot and the gun-armed man were talking about something which had made the blonde man seemingly blush.

"Aren't you going with them?" a voice said from behind where I stood. Even without turning I knew who it was for only one person could ever sneaked up behind my back without a noise.

"_**Now why would I be doing that, Vincent?**_" I replied curtly. From my peripheral view I could see my ex-host shrugging.

"There isn't going to be anything for you to do here and I'm probably going to be kept busy by Reeve with… _paperwork_," the man said the last word with much hesitation as if wishing it weren't going to happen which we both knew was unlikely.

I couldn't help but chuckle at his reply as I continue to watch the ones he call friends gather at the Shera. The Wutaian ninja was lecturing Reeve as the older man tried to persuade her to board the plane. I extended my hearing range to listen in on the conversation.

"Make sure he gets enough rest and also remind him to call us often, Reeve," the young woman said. "And be sure to send him back to us once he's done with whatever works you give him understand!"

"I will Yuffie. Now go on, I'm sure Cid's getting impatient right now," Reeve answered while gently pushing her up the stairs leading to the huge plane.

"_**It would seem your little admirer is worried about your wellbeing, Vincent,**_" I said smirking.

"You can hear them from here?" the man asked. I gave a quiet nod as a reply.

When Yuffie had boarded, Tifa walked up from behind Reeve holding the Cetra's hand. The Cetra seemed hesitant to board the plane but the older woman reassured her. How like her to be the one to act so motherly towards a stranger. After the two women had disappeared into the plane, the Shera took off from its landing spot and flew in the direction of Edge.

I turn to look at the man on my right. Vincent was staring with a look of amusement on his face and I raised an eyebrow skeptically at him. He shook his head nonchalantly before I could question him. Then both Vincent and I left our place on the roofs and walked back to the camp. The WRO members greeted us whenever they passed by us as we headed towards the largest tent in the camp. Reeve had just return from seeing the AVALANCHE group off. The man seemed drained of life as he sat down on the nearest chair and sighed in relieve.

"Had a rough night?" Vincent commented when we got close to him.

"You should tell Yuffie to stop worrying about you so much," the man replied wearily.

"Hn. I'll think about it," Vincent said with a thoughtful look. "Thanks Reeve."

"Don't mention it. Now back to work," Reeve said as he got up from his seat. He walked towards a nearby table and picked up a pile of papers before walking back towards us and handed them to Vincent.

"These are the reports from yesterday's hunt. You know what to do with them," Reeve said.

My ex-host only cringed at the sight of the papers in his hand and reluctantly nodded as he walked towards an empty table where he began his much hated job of reading the reports. Vincent sighed in defeat as he picked up the first report out of the many and started to scan through it.

"And these are for you Chaos," Reeve's voice came suddenly.

I turned to face the man who now stood in front of me with a few files in his hand. I did not notice he had went back to the table and grabbed the files as I was too engrossed in watching Vincent suffer his job in amusement. I glared at the man in front of me as threateningly as possible and he only laughed it off.

"Relax, I'm not going to ask you to work as well," the man said as he handed the files to me. "These are the reports brought back from Shinra's lab where you found our new friend last night. I had my people sorted them out and since you obviously have nothing to do I thought might as well let you read them."

"_**I expected no less from you Reeve,**_" I said with a chuckle. I took the files from his hand and examined them. "_**Thank you.**_"

"Now then, if you'll excuse me. I have plenty of work that needs to be done," the man said. He briskly walked off to attend his works as a few WRO members approached him with papers and plans.

With the files in hand, I left the crowded tent and hovered a little way from the encampment site. It was beginning to be full of noise as the engines of tractors and trucks roar with life. They would begin the reconstruction on that day itself.

I stopped at one of the watch post which was empty right now. There was a table and a chair in an open tent and I sat there. I placed the files on the table and opened the first file. The reports were mostly about a machine known as 'The Virtual Dream Installer' and theories about the Ancients. As I flipped through the pages I arrived at a section where there were pictures either drawn or snapshots.

Amongst the many pictures were a sketch of a helmet similar to the one Samantha had worn when we found her and an old picture of a young girl with wavy brown hair and green eyes. There was some writing below the picture;

Code Name: CS03AG

Age: 6

Gender: Female

Species: Ancient

_So this is the one known as Aerith, _I mused. When Vincent joined AVALANCHE and she was still alive I had not taken into consideration to remember faces of the humans around my ex-host. There was also the fact where I had been in slumber for the majority of the time but now that I see the picture in the file I could see the similarities between the Cetras.

They both have the long brown hairs and fair complexion but Samantha's hair was of a lighter shade. Even the shades of their eyes are the same; a deep green that shone ever so softly like the Lifestream. And if my memories serve me right, Aerith had a lower cut of cheekbone and rounder eyes compared to Samantha's sharper features.

I close the file I was holding and picked up another from the stack. This one was thicker compared to the other files and had a red stamp on its cover saying 'CONFIDENTIAL'. I turn to the first page and read through the first report there. It was more of an intro written by the scientist about their findings. As I continue to read I noticed the reports were more of a dairy than a formal report.

When I finished reading everything, I closed the file and leaned back in my seat and a small smile crept its way on my face.

"_**I finally found you…**_"

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A/N: I know I mentioned the report's POV in the last chapter but it didn't work. I'll put it in the next chapter maybe or as a trivia or the sort at the end of the story.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello once more everyone! It's been a long time since I updated this story, I know. Been busy and I pretty much share the laptop with my brother, so I haven't been able to used it for a long time now since he uses it during his work. But anyway, I try to get the next chapter updated as soon as possible. And I would like to thank those who favorite and put my story on their alert list.

Reminder: This chapter is based on Samantha's POV

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Chapter 6

_Tick tick tick tick… _

_The classroom I was in was silent save for the echoing sound of the clock in the room. The end term exam was taking place and every student was scribbling intently on their exam sheet – all except for one; me. _

_I was looking out through the window beside me, spacing out in my own thoughts. The city outside was bustling with activities as usual. Beyond the tall buildings, flashing neon and billboards I could see the faint outline of the Shinra Building. I let my thoughts wonder off to the place. Growing up raised by my foster father, Professor Gale, most of my childhood days were spent in Shinra's laboratory. The first few days were unnerving for a 4-year-old child what with all the stares I got from everyone when I first walked into that place with the professor. Then again it wasn't as if it was an everyday-ordinary thing for a child to be brought in to Shinra especially by a scientist._

_A gentle breeze blew in from the window and I closed my eyes, feeling the gentle caress on my skin…_

The bright rays of the sun crept its way to my room and woke me up. I rubbed my eyes and sat up in my bed, stretching myself lazily.

"Another dream again," I spoke to myself. I got up and walked out of my bedroom and headed to the bathroom just down the hall. After a quick wash and bath I headed downstairs to where the bar is. It has been a week now since I 'woke up' to this new reality and in that time I have been living in Seventh Heaven where Tifa, Cloud and Barret lived along with two other children named Denzel and Marlene. The rest of the AVALANCHE members went back to their respective home; Yuffie in Wutai, Red in Cosmo Canyon and Cid in Rocket Town.

I was surprised at how kindly they treated a complete stranger like me. On board the Shera, it was an airship that the pilot Cid found and named it after his wife, everyone introduced themselves to me. I was most surprised when I first saw Red. It was my first time seeing a live Quadruped and speaking with one. Yuffie kept asking me questions about myself on the day we left Midgar – or at least what was left of the place. They told me it was destroyed by Meteor several years back when it was summoned by an ex-First Class SOLDIER named Sephiroth whom Yuffie remarked as having turned psychopathic. None of it felt real at that time for me and even now it still feels that way to me.

When I walked in to the bar I saw Tifa at the counter wiping the top. She looked up when she heard me walking in and greeted me. I greeted her back as I poured myself a cup of juice and sat on a stool at the counter.

"I trust you slept well last night," Tifa said while she continues with her work.

"Yeah, though I still dream the same thing. Guess it'd be a while before I can get used to life here entirely." I turned to look at the various pictures on the wall and said, "So what's for breakfast today?"

"Morning Tifa. Morning Sam," a voice called out. It was Denzel with Marlene just behind him. Both of them came in and sat on the stools beside mine at the counter. Tifa turned to smile at them and said, "Would you all like pancakes for breakfast?"

The three of us nodded in agreement and she walked to the fridge to get the ingredients. "Where's Cloud, Tifa?" Denzel spoke out. The boy was very fond of the blond since he was taken in by him when Cloud found him. Denzel was an orphan with Geostigma a few years back and people had avoided him for fear of being infected by the disease but now he is cured of it and continues to live here.

Tifa while cooking the pancake on the stove said, "He's gone out on a delivery with Barret late last night. They won't be back for two or three days." Both children sat in silence upon hearing that and just then the bell on the front door jingled. Everyone turned around saw Yuffie standing in the doorway. The girl was dressed in a black tank top and brown shorts with knee-high boots and gloves. A red headband was worn on her head and she had a grin that could rival Cheshire on her dainty face. Following in behind her was a tall man with blond hair swept back and held in place by a pair of goggles and a cigarette in his mouth. Cid closed the door behind him.

"Morning everyone! Did 'ya all missed me?" Yuffie said as she skipped towards the counter and ruffled Denzel's hair, adding, "Mmm… that smells delicious. What'cha cooking Tifa? Are you guys having breakfast?"

"Hello Yuffie and you too Cid. It's nice to see you guys again," Tifa said while she flipped some pancakes and place it on plates to serve. She then placed the plates on the countertop and took a seat herself, saying, "So what brings you guys here?"

"The brat wouldn't stop buggin' me to fly her here from Wutai for days. Said she wants to pay that creep Vincent a 'surprise' visit," the older man said as he took a seat by the window chewing on his unlit cigarette. Yuffie responded by sticking out her tongue out. Then she turned back around and said, "Vinnie's taking too long with his work so I'm here to drag him home. We were supposed to have a vacation at Costa del Sol." The dark haired girl was twisting a silver ring on her left ring finger. Both she and Vincent were engaged for a few months now from what I've heard when Tifa told me of her past up until recently.

This liveliness went on for some time and when breakfast was done Tifa got ready to leave the bar to stock up on the liquor. Cid, having nothing to do decided to accompany her while Yuffie on the other hand wanted to go to Midgar. "What about you Sam? Is there somewhere you want to go to?" Tifa asked me.

"Well, there is that church you told me about that I'm interested in seeing but will Denzel and Marlene be alright on their own?" I said thoughtfully as I looked at the two children. Denzel had just come back down to the bar from his room and he held a skateboard in his arm. "I'm going to hang out with my friends so I'll be fine," the boy said.

"Then Marlene do you want to come with me to the church?" I asked the girl who was sitting beside me.

"Sure," she replied happily.

"Then it's settled! Let's go, Sector 5 is just along the way to where Vinnie is anyway," Yuffie said cheerfully. We left the bar and Tifa locked the doors. We parted ways and Yuffie led the way to Midgar, which is just at the end of the city, all the while she kept talking non-stop.

"Say, why did you cut your hair Sam?" Yuffie asked when we were walking through the ruins of Sector 4. She was walking backwards as she looked at me.

"Ah, well I'm not used to keeping my hair long and I prefer it short," I answered as I help Marlene up on a rubble. I had asked Tifa to bring me to a hair saloon to get my hair cut on my second day in Edge when she brought me out shopping for new clothes. Now the tip of my hair is just above my shoulders.

"Hmm… what was your life like, I mean ya know, before you knew of this world? Was just like this now or was it much nicer?" Yuffie asked again as she hopped down the small hill of rubbles.

"I lived here in Midgar my entire life. It was beautiful to say the least. People were everywhere and the city was always full of life. My favorite place would the fountain in Sector 8; it's always calming for me when I hear the sound of water," I said as I tried to remember the scene in my head. I could almost see it, the images of the city I once grew up in even if it was just a dream. "I've never left the city before though, so I don't know what the world beyond the city is like. I've only ever read books or seen pictures is all."

"Heeh… sounds pretty boring to me. Was there ever any war going on?" the older girl inquired. She really does love asking questions though I can't say I blame her, anyone would be just about as curious as her. I shook my head and before I could answer we were already standing near a crumbled down building. It was the church. Marlene ran on ahead into the place leaving me and Yuffie behind. "Well, we're here. This is the church Aerith used to come to and tend her flowers. It's the only place in Midgar to actually have any flower growing at all. I'm heading off to where Vinnie is now. Laters!"

I stood outside the church and saw her off first before looking at the place again. It must have been a beautiful place once but now only its walls and part of the roof remains intact. I walked into the place and saw rows upon rows of wooden benches and a few pillars still whole. At the end of the place was a small crater in the floor filled with water and dotted with flowers on its surface.

Marlene was crouching on the edge of the little pond picking up a flower. She looked up at me when I reached her side, holding the flower and said, "Aren't they pretty? They've been growing here for a long time now. Aerith was the one to grow them here." At the mention of Aerith's name the girl seemed downcast. It seems all of them were very fond of that person before she died.

I knelt down beside the small girl and looked at the flowers. They were like the sun, bright yellow in color and shaped like a cup. "These are buttercups. I'm surprised they haven't wilt at all after being submerged in the water for so long," I said more to myself. Marlene looked questioningly at me so I explained, "The name of these flowers is buttercup because they're shaped like a small cup as you can see and their color resembles butter."

Marlene only nodded and looked intently at the flower while I explained to her. Then she turned to look at me and said, "Were there many flowers where you came from?"

"No, other than the ones I planted myself there were none in the city. But as I mentioned before, the place I lived in was just a dream. It wasn't real at all," I said. An image of my apartment where I lived with my foster father came to mind. It wasn't very big and it near Shinra itself like all other apartment for their employees was. I had planted a few orchids and poppies on my windowsill in our apartment.

"Do you miss it? Even if it was a dream?" Marlene asked again. The girl is concern about me, I thought. I gave her a reassuring smile and said, "A little but I'll get over it soon, so don't worry."

We sat there looking at the flowers and talking for a while before the sounds of footsteps echoed dully from behind us. I looked up from where I sat and saw a tall shadowed figure at the church entrance. As the figure came closer to the sunlight I was able to see the person wore golden-plated boots with pointed ends and the hair stood up and around like a ball of electric. On both shoulders I could make out a faint outline of leathery wings.

Standing now under the sunlight I saw the figure belonged to the one I had spoken to on my first night; Chaos. He looked the same as when I had first seen him that night outside the tent. "_**Did you enjoy your morning, Cetra?**_" the figure said in a rather echoic voice.


End file.
